1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device having a first cabinet and a second cabinet that is supported via a pivot of the first cabinet so as to be opened and closed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A notebook personal computer (hereafter referred to as note PC) is formed by a main unit (a first cabinet) provided with a keyboard on a top surface thereof and a display unit (a second cabinet) provided with a display screen that can be opened and closed with respect to the main unit. Recently, such a note PC equipped with a camera at a position near the top edge of the display unit has started to become popular. The camera is intended for photographing a user's face and using the photographed image for communication via TV, telephone and the like.
Further, a note PC is usually provided with locking mechanism that prevents the closed note PC from being unintentionally opened when the display unit is laid closed on the main unit. Examples of locking function include a hook disposed near the top edge of the display unit and an engaging hole formed in the main unit that receives the hook when the display unit is laid closed on the main unit.
As portability is a requisite for a note PC, it is often the case that the note PC, while being carried, falls by being opened carelessly or hits an object. Accordingly, locking mechanism is provided to prevent unintentional disengagement of the display unit from the main unit.
Here, it is preferable to dispose locking mechanism in approximately the center on side-to-side surface of the note PC for keeping balance of the note PC. The camera should also be disposed in around the center on the side-to-side surface so that when a user faces the front of the note PC the user's face directed to the display screen in the correct posture can be positioned around the center of field angle.
However, a camera is usually fixed to a board mounted with signal processing circuits for the camera and locking mechanism is a locking module that includes, other than a locking hook, an operation member for disengaging the hook from the engaging hole, a linking mechanism linking operation of the operation member to disengaging movement of the hook. In addition, both the board for fixing the camera and the locking mechanism are not little in dimension. Thus, it is difficult to dispose the camera near the locking mechanism.
Accordingly, when both the camera and the locking mechanism are installed in the note PC, either of the camera and the locking mechanism, due to insufficient space, should be placed close to the right or left side off the center of the top edge of the display unit, which is not favorable placement.
Further, this problem is not limited to the note PC and is common to an electronic device with two cabinets that are configured to be opened and closed with respect to each other such as a PDA and a DVD.
In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-20164 discloses a camera disposed at around the center, but a locking claw disclosed therein is disposed at a position close to the left side. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-55735 discloses a camera disposed at a position close to the right side and a locking claw disposed at a position close to the left side, both of which are disposed off the center.